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Had the same problem with a '590 purchased a few months ago -- only about 70 watts output.
After tinkering for a few weeks (playing with various radio settings, master reset, different power supplies, comparing output on different power meters, etc) concluded that the rig was defective.
Vendor took it back and shipped me a replacement -- which puts out 90+ watts on all bands.

mines the same..on FM it shows 100+ all bands;but SSB shows around 20w during normal voice ops. even an external PEP meter doesn't go much more than 50-60 ( a whistle gets 100+)
590 is "weaker" than my FT-950 and FT-450 on SSB

If a whistle puts out 100+ watts, then the radio is fine. What do the 950 and 450 put out? How much weaker is the 590s?
Rob
NV5E

about the same on FM/CW most bands;105w but about twice as much on SSB (average ) on the same external meter.

Originally Posted by WB2WIK

I agree if a "whistle" creates 100W indicated output, then the PA is fine, and probably so is everything else.

I'd just watch the "ALC," and see that it's working and indicating as it should.

A 100W PEP rig normally indicates 20-30W on voice peaks on an external wattmeter unless that is a true PEP wattmeter; there aren't many of those on the market, really just a few.

Every SSB rig I own (five of them) that indicate 100W PEP on a true PEP meter indicate about 20-30W on a regular wattmeter.

I don't know how "true PEP" reading my meter really is. It's just a Yaesu YS-60. I really need to get something like the LP-100 ( what else is there besides it ??)

Not much ALC showing on the 590,just maybe a 1/4 scale now and then. Now the 450 is quite different,it hammers the ALC but there isn't much adjustment/choice on mic gain,proc. on that rig.
I haven't used the 590 for about a month until last night,it's been in the box waiting for Kenwood to come up with a fix for another problem.
I'm about ready to just sell it.

The LP-100 is. But then, so is the Autek WM-1 and the Ameritron meter. I also have a Bird 43P (same as a 43, but with a PEP board installed inside -- that takes batteries to run it), and it's another PEP meter.

But there really aren't many.

I don't know what the issue with your TS-590 is, but normally you'd want to run a rig with its ALC indication as per whatever the manual suggests; "more" often results in overdrive and distortion, and "less" usually results in "undermodulation," i.e., not really achieving the kind of modulation the rig was designed to optimally achieve.

This is why "turning down the mike gain to reduce power" doesn't work.

The LP-100 is. But then, so is the Autek WM-1 and the Ameritron meter. I also have a Bird 43P (same as a 43, but with a PEP board installed inside -- that takes batteries to run it), and it's another PEP meter.

But there really aren't many.

I don't know what the issue with your TS-590 is, but normally you'd want to run a rig with its ALC indication as per whatever the manual suggests; "more" often results in overdrive and distortion, and "less" usually results in "undermodulation," i.e., not really achieving the kind of modulation the rig was designed to optimally achieve.

This is why "turning down the mike gain to reduce power" doesn't work.

The Yaesu meter is PEP only in the sense it has an AVG and a PEP position and requires power;but an LP-100 or Autek it's definately not.I've planning on buying either the LP-100 or the Autek for years,but never can talk myself into spending that much for a meter.
I do probably run the ALC light but I do on the FT-950 too.